AUTHOR=Sadras Victor O. , Fereres Elias , Borrás Lucas , Garzo Elisa , Moreno Aranzazu , Araus Jose Luis , Fereres Alberto TITLE=Aphid Resistance: An Overlooked Ecological Dimension of Nonstructural Carbohydrates in Cereals JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science VOLUME=11 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.00937 DOI=10.3389/fpls.2020.00937 ISSN=1664-462X ABSTRACT=

Nonstructural carbohydrates in cereals have been widely investigated from physiological, genetic, and breeding perspectives. Nonstructural carbohydrates may contribute to grain filling, but correlations with yield are inconsistent and sometimes negative. Here we ask if there are hidden functions of nonstructural carbohydrates, advance an ecological dimension to this question, and speculate that high concentration of nonstructural carbohydrates may challenge the osmotic homeostasis of aphids, thus providing a working hypothesis that connects nonstructural carbohydrates with aphid resistance in cereals. In the light of this proposition, the amount and concentration of nonstructural carbohydrates should be regarded as functionally different traits, with amount relevant to the carbon economy of the crop and concentration playing an osmotic role. We conclude with suggestions for experiments to test our hypothesis.